ELEVEN
I’veno idea how long we’ve been plodding along this track. All I’m sure of is that I stink—the joy of travelling with limited supplies and no washing facilities. Okay, that and we’re still no closer to safety or answers.
Shanae’s been tight-lipped. The only thing she’s asked and—after a shared glance with Solan—I’ve confirmed is that, yes, Jamie and I arrived in the latest merge just a few days ago. She did reveal that she’s been here for close to eighteen years.
I’m still processing.
On the one hand, she’s survived this long, and I assume has a life here. It’s a relief. But fuck, eighteen years with no chance of returning.
“So, if you happened to be in a rift…” I ponder how to describe the section of land exchanged in a merge. “…cellhere, you could technically find yourself back home?” I ask.
Solan tenses beside me, and guilt that my words make him nervous pulses under my skin.
“Technically, yes. Our world or another. Solan’s… or Yetaria’s.” She points at the large, noseless monster a few steps in front of us. “Who’s to say where the rift would take any of us?”
Shit, I didn’t even consider that. A tendril of unease unfurls in my gut.
What if another happens and takes Jamie away from me… and to somewhere even more dangerous than here? I feel the blood drain from my face. What if I’m taken away from Solan or him from me? A slice of fear threatens to buckle my knees.
I don’t have time to spiral—not with Solan’s firm, comforting grip on my thigh. I soak in his warmth, the silent reassurance he’s giving despite not knowing what I’m freaking the fuck out about. The fact that he does so without an exchange of words is enough.
I’m not sure how to respond. Do I want to think about this further and get myself worked up about something I have exactly zero control over? Fuck no.
Thankfully, Solan angles his head towards Shanae and says, “Whereexactlyare we heading?” Solan’s voice is steady, but there’s an undercurrent of tension that makes me glance at him. His golden eyes flick briefly to mine before focussing back on Shanae.
She adjusts the strap of her pack, her pace steady as we trudge along the overgrown trail. The air is thick and humid, the jungle closing in around us like a living, breathing thing. Vines hang low, brushing our heads, and the occasional cry of some unseen creature sends shivers down my spine.
“To our headquarters,” Shanae replies, her tone clipped but not unkind. “Not the main camp.”
“What’s the difference?” I ask, keeping a firm grip on the reins of my horse. The animal snorts softly, uneasy in the dense jungle.
“The camp’s where most of the rebels are,” Shanae explains. “It’s a lot bigger, more like a proper settlement. Think of a town rather than a city of tents. The headquarters, on the other hand, is more of a… central node. Fewer people, more secure.”
“A town?” Jamie perks up beside me, his eyes wide with curiosity. “What kind of town? Like… one from Earth?”
“Not exactly.” Shanae’s lips quirk into a small smile. “It was merged here about twenty years ago. We call it Dathanor. Used to be from a world called Fenorith.”
“Fenorith?” I echo, the name foreign and intriguing.
“Yeah,” Shanae says. “Whole place was apparently covered in bioluminescent veins and floating rivers. Dathanor was one of their smaller settlements, but it’s… changed since then.”
“Changed how?” Jamie’s practically bouncing with excitement now, and I can’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. Hell, it’s better than him being terrified.
Shanae glances at him, her expression softening. “Well, for one thing, it doesn’t have floating rivers anymore. But it’s still got its quirks. You’ll see when we get there.”
At least that’s reassuring, the implication that we’ll get to see the settlement and make it out of the headquarters alive.
The trail narrows, forcing us into a single-file line. Solan drops back to walk behind me. I glance over my shoulder, catching how his gaze sweeps the surroundings with practiced ease.
“And the shields?” he asks, his tone casual but probing. “How have you managed to protect a place like that?”
Shanae snorts softly. “This world is like one of those crazy movies or video games back home,” she directs at me. “You’d be amazed at the kind of skills some species bring to the table.”
“Like what?” Jamie asks, eyes wide. He’s in front of me, his head angled up, glancing at everything he can.
Shanae flicks a look his way and grins, her teeth white against her dark skin. “There’s a species called the Entherians. They’re humanoid but have these crystalline structures in their bodies that let them manipulate energy fields. They can embedthose fields into objects, creating shields that are damn near impenetrable.”
“That’s… awesome,” Jamie breathes, his eyes wide with awe. “Can they make anything else?”
